Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a field-expedient, pre-fire-season heat acclimatization protocol to reduce heat strain in fire academy students. Methods: Seventeen fire academy students completed 10 days of outdoor, firefighter-relevant functional exercise. Daily peak rectal temperature guided the progressive addition of turnout gear (i.e., pants, helmet, jacket, SCBA) to achieve an isothermal heat stimulus. Day 1 and Day 10 outcomes were compared. Results: Active exercise time (63.1±18.3 vs 73.0±7.8 min; p =.014), 20-minute run distance (1.66±0.33 vs 2.16±0.57 km; p =.002), and sweat rate (0.83±0.32 vs 1.26±0.80 L/h; p =.012) increased while resting rectal temperature (37.49±0.35 vs 37.24±0.19°C; p =.015) and heart rate (95±13 vs 85±11 bpm; p =.012) decreased from before to after heat acclimatization, respectively. Conclusions: Progressive overdressing during firefighter-relevant functional exercise appears to be a feasible, accessible heat acclimatization strategy that improves thermoregulation and exercise-heat capacity.
Objective: Burnout and mental health concerns are prevalent among healthcare workers, particularly in long-term care, highlighting the need for effective workplace interventions. Methods: By integrating training approaches developed in clinical psychology and occupational health psychology, six workshops were designed for long-term care employees ( N = 89; e.g., nurses) and leaders ( N = 69; e.g., supervisors, senior leadership). The pilot intervention was implemented across seven facilities and evaluated using a single-group pre-test/post-test design, with quantitative survey data and brief open responses. Results: Participants rated the quality and utility of the workshops favorably. No significant changes emerged for learning, behavioral, or well-being outcomes, and effects sizes were small. Conclusions: This work advances the Total Worker Health intervention literature. We highlight lessons learned to provide practical recommendations for program design, implementation, and evaluation in future workplace intervention efforts.
Objective: This study examines how relationships with residents mediate the impact of job resources (autonomy, organizational support) and job demands (workload) on caregivers’ well-being in long-term healthcare (LTC), using the Job Demands-Resources and Conservation of Resources theories. Methods: Repeated cross-sectional survey data from 1316 caregivers in 13 LTC facilities located in northern Italy are analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Results: Relationships with residents partially mediate the link between job characteristics and caregivers’ well-being, while the hypothesized interactions between workload and job resources in predicting relationship quality were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Relationships with residents are crucial for caregivers’ well-being in LTC, a sector suffering from skills shortage and societal issues in caring for fragile citizens. Managerial implications and generalization for other emotionally demanding sectors are debated.
Objective: Evaluate sustainability of psychological improvements six months after completion of an 8-week Functional Restoration Program (FRP). Design: Longitudinal retrospective chart review of 313 workers’ compensation patients completing FRP. Outcomes were assessed at intake, graduation, and 6-month post-graduation using the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Changes were analyzed using Friedman tests and repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: PSEQ increased from 27.0 at intake to 37.3 at graduation and 33.8 at 6 months; GAD-7 decreased from 10.5 to 7.7 and 8.3; ISI from 16.2 to 14.1 and 13.4; and CES-D from 24.9 to 18.4 and 21.1 (all p<0.001). Improvements were maintained or exceeded baseline in 70.8%, 67.0%, 70.7%, and 65.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Psychological improvements following FRP were sustained at 6 months.
